Press

8 questions for Stefen Chow

What have you been busy with lately?
I have been pretty busy. I just came back from a documentary shoot from the Everest Base Camp on the Nepal side. We spent 3 weeks in the Himalayas and 8 nights at 5400m out in the cold and the snow, and I shot a documentary for a Singapore programme. It was really fun and extreme. I have also been involved in various editorial and commercial projects this year, and I haven't really stopped traveling for the past 5 years. Just this year, my projects have gone from the open sea to the high Himalayas, from social projects to advertising campaigns.

In 2013 you took part in the Storydrive exhibition with your visual project “the Poverty Line”. How has the project been developing so far?
The project has moved in a direction that we have never imagined. We are Chow and Lin, and Lin is my wife and partner in all the long term personal projects that we have been doing. We have since exhibited The Poverty Line in quite a few countries, including Tblisi, Georgia, Paris, Beijing and Shanghai. We have photographed the project in 29 countries so far. We will be doing a solo exhibition on The Poverty Line in Yangon, Myanmar later this year. More on the project can be seen at www.thepovertyline.net

What are the main achievements of “the Poverty Line”?
We set out to do this project with one thing in mind, and that was to increase the conversation surrounding poverty. We understand that this is an important topic, but it isn't a trendy topic for many, and as we did deeper research, we also find there were lots of misconception and ignorance surrounding the concept and definition of poverty. Bringing two things that can relate to most people - food and newspapers, helped us bring the conversation and attention to a different level.

We found acceptance and recognition in the contemporary art world, the academic circles and the public at large. This was what we wanted, and it really motivates us that you can use photography and art as a medium and platform to create conversations.

We are honored that the work is currently in the permanent collection of a few prestigious museums, but we are even more excited when we get emails from teachers around the world who are using our material to enhance understanding about choices and poverty to their students.

You have been a professional editorial photographer for many years. What are the most exciting moments/sights/events?
Every assignment has been really exciting and meaningful, and I feel really fortunate that my day job is also something that I really love doing.
I could give you two examples. One was for Fortune Magazine, where I followed Wang Jian Lin, China's richest man for 4 days. I documented him for a cover story for the magazine, and I was given access to him during these days. It was interesting to see the world of the elite, yet you also have a deeper understanding of their own unique challenges and problems. Another was when I spent 5 weeks up in the Himalayas where I followed a group of Swiss doctors and volunteers who were conducting the most extreme medical research at high altitudes. We climbed a 7000m mountain where they were doing blood tests with extensive medical equipment. That was one of my most memorable assignments, and it really galvanised why I do this job.

How to survive in an extensive social media environment as a professional photographer?
It is not easy. There are challenges to maintaining a solid social media profile yet doing your day job as a photographer. Both things are rather exclusive. I only have mediocre success in the social media environment, but I know I have the ability to create content for my clients who have reached out to millions. That, I am happy and feel privileged about.

In what ways is photography an art of storytelling?
Today, everyone owns a camera, or even many. It could be in your smartphone, or your iPad, or you might carry an actual one. Everyone understands photography nowadays, and this may not be the case 10 years ago when photography seem to be an exclusive language only in the hands of the professionals. As such, photography has become a language, perhaps even more universal than any other spoken or written language. You don't have to explain many photographs, but if the text is in a foreign language, you will need expertise and education to decipher it properly. You don't have to do that with photographs, and I really see it as a powerful tool for storytelling.

How is the creative environment in Beijing, the city where you have been living for many years?
I have been based in Beijing for the last 9 years. I think it is one of the most creative cities in the world. You get a mix of everything, and people are very open and experimental. The local artists have been reinventing themselves tremendously, and some of the most influential creative minds reside in Beijing today. It is terribly exciting.

What have you learned from your numerous Himalayan expeditions?
Passion Creates Possibilities.

Stefen Chow（赵峰） will be speaking at the StoryDrive conference in Beijing (31 May - 1 June 2017).